Apparatus for evaporating sea-water.



No. 674ml. Patented-May 23,191". a. mu. WATSON.

APPARATUS FOR EV'APORATING SEA WATER.

(No Modem (Application flied Feb. 28, 1901.)

3 Sheets-Sheet I.

/iVYf/ITO)? No. 674,89l. Patented May 28, l90l.

D. MGK. WATSON. APPARATUS FOR EVAPORAHNG- SEA WATER.

(Application filed Feb. 28, 1901'.)v (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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No. 674,89l. Patented May 28, I90l; D. McK. WATSON.

APPARATUS FOR EVAPORATING SEA WATER.

(No Model Mpplicnticn filed Feb. 28. 1901.

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DANIEL MCKENZIE WATSON, OF LEITH, SCOTLAND.

APPARATUS FOR EVAPORATI NG SEA-WATER.

SPEGIFICATIQN formingpart of Letters Patent No. 674,891, dated May 28, 1901.

I Application filed February 28,1901. Serial No. 49,256. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, DANIEL MOKENZiE WATSON, marine engineer, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at 33 Albany street, Leith, in the county of Mid-Lothian, Scotland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Evaporating Seaater, (application made in Great Britain on the 12th of June, 1900, No. 10,658,) of which the following is a specification.

This invention comprises an apparatus to be used as an evaporator of sea-water to be reduced to fresh water for feeding the boilers on steamships; and the invention has special reference to the construction of and arrangements connected with such apparatus whereby it can be placed in the funnel of the ship to be heated by the waste gases escaping from the boiler-furnaces.

It is essentially necessary in connection with the proper working of the apparatus that the feed-water be automatically shut off when the evaporator is charged to a certain level or high-water mark, and also when the water is run down, whether by drainage or evaporation, to what may be termed the low-water mark that the feed-water shall be automatically turned on again. It is also essential that provision be made to prevent scalding on the shell of the apparatus, the effect of which is well known. Under my invention means are provided for automatically controlling the supply of feedwater and also for preventing the formation of scale or incrustation on the interior surface of the evaporator.

My improved apparatus is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 is a vertical section of the evaporator as it appears when fitted in the funnel of the steamer. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the apparatus as it appears when in the funnel, which latter is shown in section. Fig. 3 is a half horizontal section and half-plan of the apparatus. The section is taken on the line X X, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a horizontal section taken on the line Y Y, Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a detail side view and section showing part of a scraper and scraper-blade.

The apparatus consists of a boiler or evaporator a, which is preferably made of a tapered or conical shape, as shown at Fig. 1, and has a removable conical cover I) and a conical bottom 0. Fitted in the center of the evaporator is an open-ended preferably tapered flue-tube d, which serves to increase the heating-surface. The evaporator is securely fastened in place within the funnel e of the steamer by means of staysf and rings g. It will be seen that the body of the evaporator tapers from the top toward the bottom, whereas the fluetube 01 tapers from the bottom toward the top. The feed-water pipe h passes through the side of the evaporator and down through the balllever chamber c', in which is situated a balllever j, which works a cock is on the feedwater pipe. This chamber is open at the top and has an outlet Z at the bottom, which can be closed by means of a float-valve m.

The evaporator is provided with a drain or scum pipe 41, which leads to a chamber 0, in which is a ball-lever 19, working a cock g on the end of the drain-pipe. The end of the drain pipe communicates with a vertical waste-pipe r, which is open at its upper end at 7" and is provided with a valve-openingr This opening can be closed by means of a disk 3 on the end of a lever s, which latter is fulcrumed at s to the side'of the chamber. This levercan be operated by means of a verticallyworking rod t jointed to it and whose upper end is provided with a cup u.

'u/ is a guide-bracket for the rod 25. cured to the pipe 1".

o is a branch pipe extending from the feedpipe 72 and which is provided with a springloaded valve 41, capable of opening at a certain pressure.

o is a valve on the drain-pipe.-

"0 is a second valve on the drain-pipe.

o is a screw-plug screwed into the branch 02 of the drain-pipe.

The feed-water pipe 7L is provided with a valve h, a branch 71 anda screw-plug 71. in the end of the branch.

In order to prevent scalding in the evaporator, scrapers w are provided. There may be any desired number of scrapers; but by preference I use four sets. These scrapers are secured to and project out radially from a revoluble tube at, which is fitted around the flue-tube d and bears ,at its lower end on a bearing-ring m. At its upper end is a wormwheel 00 which can be revolved by means of a worm as on a shaft 00 extending across the It is segine.

evaporator and out to the outside of the funnel. This shaftoc works in suitable bearings and can be driven by means of clockwork mechanism, an electric or other motor, or by or from the main engine or an auxiliary en- Each scraper has removably secured to it a blade y. Each blade is provided with slots y, (see Fig. 5,) through which studs 3 can be passed, and the blades can be adjusted and clamped in position by means of the nuts g zis the steam-outlet pipe. This pipe is perforated at its inner end, as shown in dotted lines, Fig. 3, and it is preferably provided with a safety-valve z.

a is a circular gutter fitted on top of the scrapers.

Z3 2 are casings fitted around the pipes h n to prevent them being burned.

If desired, there may be fitted, in conjunction with the evaporator, an ordinary form of water-gage, as indicated in dotted lines at 2 With this apparatus the feed-water, which may be sea-water, is pumped through the pipe it into the evaporator. When the water rises up to the float-valve m, it closes this valve against its seat, and when it rises up to the top of the chamber 2' it overflows into the chamber and fills it up, with the result that the ball-lever j is raised and the cock 7t closed. The closing of the cock shuts ofi the feed-water. When the water evaporates down below the level of the bottom of the chamber 2', the float-valve m opens, whereupon the water in the chamber runs out and the floatj sinks and in sinking again opens the cock is for a further supply of the feed-water. Thefeedwater supply to the evaporator is in this manner efficiently controlled and regulated.

The valves 41 and v. on the scum-pipe are usually kept open to aslight extent, so as to allow the scum to drain off through the pipe r. When the feed-water supply to the evaporator is cut off by the action of the ball-cock 5 j It, the pressure of water in the pipe 72. ac-

cumulates, owing to the continued pumping, until the pressure forces open the valve i2, whereupon the feed-water rushes out through the end of the pipe 12 and impinges on the cup u, forcing it downward and causing the disk 3 to rise and close the opening 0*. The water now rapidly rises in the chamber 0 and lifts up the float 19, so as to shut the cock q and close the scum-pipe. As the water continues to rise it eventually overflows the upper end of the waste-pipe and runs away. When the feed-water is again turned on by the automatic action of the cook it, the valve '0 closes, and thereupon water ceases to impinge on the cup Lb, with the results that the disk 8', which is sufficiently heavy to overcome the weight of the cup and its rod 25, falls down again'into the position shown at Fig. 1 and opens the passage r whereupon the water in the chamber 0 drains away and the ball 10 again falls and opens the scum-pipe.

Whenever necessary, the plugs h '0 can be removed for the purpose of cleaning the parts of the pipes h n subjected to the heat.

The shaft m is kept slowly revolving, so that the scrapers to constantly agitate the water in the evaporator and scrape the interior surface thereof.

If desired, the scum-chamber 0 may be situated in the engine-room, so that the engineer can observe the evaporator feeding and scumming at any time.

The steam drawn off by the pipe 2' may be recondensed for the purpose of supplying fresh feed-water to the boilers, or it may be made to do duty in the engines, or it may be diverted into the funnel, so as to give an induced draft. The apparatus can therefore serve as either an evaporator, a steam-generator, or a draft-inducer.

As the apparatus is fitted in the funnel and heated by the waste gases it constitutes a very cheap and economical means for evaporating water.

As will be seen, the evaporator is automatic in feeding and scumming and is self-cleaning.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. An apparatus for evaporating sea-water consisting of a boiler which is placed in the funnel of a steamer and heated by the waste gases passing therethrough said boiler being tapered from the top toward the bottom and having a central flue-tube which tapers from the bottom toward the top and provided with means for supplying water to it, means for drawing off scum from it, means for conducting away the steam and means for scraping the interior of the boiler-shell, substantially as described.

2. An apparatus for evaporating sea-water having in combination a boiler placed in the funnel of a steamer and heated by the waste gases passing through the funnel, means for supplying water to the boiler, means for antomatically controlling this water-supply, means for drawing off the scum from the boiler, means for drawing off the steam from the boiler and means for scraping the interior of the boiler-shell, substantially as described.

3. An apparatus for evaporating sea-water having in combination a boiler placed in the funnel of a steamer and heated by the waste gases passing through the funnel, means for supplying water to the boiler, means for automatically controlling this water supply, means for drawing off the scum from the boiler, means for drawing off the steam from the boiler, a rotating tube within the boiler, arms projecting out radially from the tube, scrapers fitted at the ends of the arms and means for revolving the tube, substantially as described.

4. An apparatus for evaporating sea-water consisting of a boiler placed in the funnel of a steamer and heated by the waste gases passing through, said boiler being tapered from the top toward the bottom and having a central flue-tube which tapers from the bottom toward the top, a water-supply pipe to the boiler having a cook, a chamber located within the boiler, open on its upper side, an automatic valve at the bottom of the chamber, a float within the chamber arranged to actuate said cock, means for drawing off scum from the boiler, and means for drawing off steam from the boiler, substantially as described.

5. An apparatus for evaporating sea-water consisting of a boiler placed in the funnel of a steamer and heated by the waste gases passing therethrough, said boiler being tapered from the top toward the bottom and having a central flue-tube which tapers from the bottom toward the top, a water-supply pipe to the boiler having a cock, means for automatically controllingthe water-supply, means for. automatically allowing the feed-water to escape at such times as the water is cut off from the boiler, means for drawing off steam from the boiler, and means for scraping the interior of the boiler-shell, substantially as described.

6. An apparatus for evaporating sea-water consisting of a boiler placed in the funnel of a steamer and heated by the waste gases passing therethrough, said boiler being tapered from the top toward the bottom and having a central flue-tube which tapers from the bottom toward the top, a Water-supply pipe to the boiler having a cock, means for automatically controlling the water-supply through said pipe, a branch connected with the waterpi pe,an automatic spring-valve on the branch, a chamber, a waste-pipein the chamber, a cup at the upper end of the chamber on which the water from the branch can impinge; a lever connected to the spindle, and a disk on the lever for opening the outlet from the chamber and means for drawing off steam from the boiler, substantially as described.

7. An apparatus for evaporating sea-water havingin combination a boiler which is placed in the funnel of a steamer and heated by the wastegases passing through the funnel, a tapered shell made on the boiler, a conic bottom made on the boiler, a removable conic cover made on the boiler, a central flue-tube secured in the bottom and in the cover, a concentric tube arranged around the flue-tube, scrapers secured to this concentric tube, a bearing at the bottom of the boiler on which the tube Works, a worm-wheel on the tube, a worm whose teeth mesh with the teeth of the worm-wheel, a worm-shaft carrying the worm and passing out through the boiler and the funnel, means for actuating the Worm-shaft, means forsupplying water to the boiler,means for controlling the Water-supply to the boiler and means for drawing off the steam from the boiler, substantially as described.

Signed at Glasgow, Scotland, this 5th day of February, 1901.

DANIEL MCKENZIE WATSON.

Witnesses:

W. D. FITZPATRICK, WM. GALL. 

